Second NYPD officer shot by suspect released from hospital

BELMONT, Bronx (WABC) – The second of the two officers shot Wednesday was released from the hospital.

Robert Holmes was hit in the armpit while fighting a suspect in the Belmont section of the Bronx.

His partner, Alejandra Jacobs, was shot twice in the arm. They sent her home on Thursday.

The suspect remains hospitalized with a gunshot wound.

The incident occurred on East 187th Street and Beaumont Avenue in the Belmont section around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Video obtained by Eyewitness News shows that officers barely had a chance to speak to him before he opened fire.

According to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, police received a 911 call about a man with a gun at the scene.

Two officers responded and surveillance video shows what happened when they arrived.

The officers confronted the suspect, whom they recognized from the description they were given. The suspect took a gun and a fight ensued, during which the suspect fired at the officers.

The female agent fired back, fired five times and the suspect was shot three times. All three were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital.

“We have much to be thankful for,” added the commissioner, citing that there was no loss of life in the incident.

Police recovered the suspect’s gun at the scene. He is identified as Charlie Vasquez of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. He has several previous arrests, including for possession of weapons.

They said the gun was reported stolen from Georgia.

“It all comes down to responsibility, you shouldn’t feel comfortable carrying an illegal firearm,” said New York Police Department Chief Rodney Harrison.

“And that’s what it comes down to. In New York, we have some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but we need to make sure that those who choose to carry these illegal firearms are held accountable for what they are doing.”